picky

play

adjective \ ˈpi-kē \

Definition of picky

pickier; pickiest

:fussy, choosy

a picky eater

See picky defined for English-language learners

See picky defined for kids

Examples of picky in a Sentence

a picky cat who would only eat one particular kind of food, and only if it was served in his special dish
she's picky, but she always finds the best quality in fresh meat and fish

Recent Examples of picky from the Web

The kids take advantage of meals but can be picky, sometimes leaving behind milk and fruit -- which drives the staff nuts.

— mark naymik, cleveland.com, "For kids in King Kennedy's housing project - a sanctuary is only yards away: Mark Naymik," 20 Aug. 2017
Garnish with a twist of lemon peel (some insist that this be squeezed over the drink and discarded; Handy wasn't so picky). *

— esquire editors, Esquire, "How to Make a Sazerac," 7 July 2017
And that’s not a bad plan for human parents making supper for picky children.

— anna thomas bates, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Take a cue from nature and 'hide' veggies in plain sight," 28 June 2017
Some are picky eaters who’ve never eaten yogurt, bananas, beans or avocados.

— pam kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Chef's focus is healthy cooking for kids," 21 June 2017
Family Resource Fair Face painting, balloons, giveaways, free screening for developmental delays, workshops on toilet training, sleeping issues and nutrition for picky eaters.

— Washington Post, "Montgomery County community calendar, June 22-29, 2017," 21 June 2017
This should mean that the charging system isn't that picky about distance and orientation.

— john timmer, Ars Technica, "Quantum principle harnessed to create easier wireless charging," 14 June 2017
Marcell Ozuna doesn’t seem to be too picky about his bats.

— clark spencer, miamiherald, "From Bonds to Ichiro, borrowed bats work wonders for Marcell Ozuna," 30 May 2017
Here was my picky kid, excited about American history.

— laura johnston, cleveland.com, "How family vacations can make your kids smarter: Multitasking Moms and Dads," 28 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'picky.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.